Mechatronics Engineer — Precision PCB Placement & Vision

Nebula; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity participation in a high-growth

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company matching

On-site work with rare work-from-home

Merit-based rewards

Job summary

Nebula in El Segundo is building the first placement cell on a production line, combining mechanical design, end effectors, motion tuning and vision alignment.

You will design and implement a complete automated placement and transport subsystem, from motion platform to safety interlocks, with a focus on precision and cycle-time optimization. This on-site role rewards hands-on engineering impact and equity that mirrors startup growth.

Qualifications

• A degree in mechatronics, robotics, mechanical or electrical engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Hands-on design, build or commissioning of automated production equipment: surface mount placement, precision assembly, robotic cells.
• Fluent with motion control: servo tuning, linear stages, end effectors, and machine vision for alignment.
• Working knowledge of PLC and industrial controls, safety-rated circuits, guarding and risk assessment.
• The judgment to take a placement defect back to the machine, the feeder or the data.
• Ready to build the first placement cell on a line and the procedures operators run from.
• Bonus: CAD design of precision mechanisms, pneumatic and vacuum systems, or commissioning a full line.

Responsibilities

• Placement machine design: motion platform and gantry, linear axes, drives and servo tuning
• End effectors: nozzle selection and changing, vacuum pickup, grippers for parts outside tape
• Component feeding: tape and reel, trays and tubes, splicing and changeover, moisture-sensitive device handling
• Vision and alignment: upward and downward cameras, fiducials, part recognition at pickup, and calibration
• Placement into the build: depth and rotation control, and the handshakes returning the board
• Cycle time and capability: placement sequencing, feeder layout, accuracy and repeatability studies, changeover
• Transport between cells: conveyors, stops and lifts, pallets, buffering, and SMEMA handshaking between stations
• Controls and safety: PLC and motion control, industrial networks, interlocks, light curtains, risk assessment

Skills

Motion control

End effectors

Machine vision

PLC controls

Safety systems

Education

Bachelors in mechatronics/robotics/mechanical/electrical engineering

Job description

Nebula in El Segundo is building the first placement cell on a production line, combining mechanical design, end effectors, motion tuning and vision alignment.

You will design and implement a complete automated placement and transport subsystem, from motion platform to safety interlocks, with a focus on precision and cycle-time optimization. This on-site role rewards hands-on engineering impact and equity that mirrors startup growth.